FAQ

Q. Is transportation available?

A. Thanks to Bridges Outreach, we will provide transportation from KHCPL Main to South every Saturday through April 29 - except March 4. Seating will be limited. Please call Heather at 765.626.0804 to sign up.

Q. When is the Discover Tech exhibit?

A. Mark your calendar for Feb. 25 to May 19, 2017, and come to KHCPL to Explore Your Opportunities at Discover Tech.

Q. I don’t live in Kokomo or Howard County. Can I still come?

A. Yes, please do! Everyone is welcome.

Q. Do I need a library card?

A. You do not have to be a KHCPL cardholder to explore the exhibit, but if you live in the eight townships in Howard County that we serve (Center, Taylor, Howard, Clay, Ervin, Harrison, Honey Creek, and Monroe), we’d LOVE to have you get or renew a card.

Q. What are the days/hours?

A. The Discover Tech exhibit will be open when KHCPL South is open:

Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sundays: 2 to 5:30 p.m.

Discover Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference

The Kokomo-Howard County Public Library is proud to be one of only eight libraries in the country — and the only Indiana library — to host the Discover Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference traveling exhibit.

The word engineer comes from a Latin word meaning “cleverness.” Plenty of clever people have called Kokomo home. Their engineering marvels — the first automobile, pneumatic rubber tire, push-button car radio, all-metal life boats and rafts — truly have made a world of difference in Kokomo and earned us the title of the City of Firsts.

Whether you call it cleverness or engineering, it is essential in today’s world and the future. Kids simply must have science, technology, engineering, and math skills, collectively known as STEM.

Why Engineering and Discover Tech Matter

The U.S. Department of Education explains it perfectly. “In a world that’s becoming increasingly complex, where success is driven not only by what you know, but by what you can do with what you know, it’s more important than ever for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve tough problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information. These are the types of skills that students learn by studying science, technology, engineering, and math. Yet today, few American students pursue expertise in STEM fields. All young people should be prepared to think deeply and to think well so that they have the chance to become the innovators, educators, researchers, and leaders who can solve the most pressing challenges facing our nation and our world, both today and tomorrow.”

What is Discover Tech?

Discover Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference will help people understand the nature of 21st-century technology and engineering — both high- and low-tech.

Through interactive displays, the exhibit will illustrate that engineers, through a creative and collaborative design process, arrive at practical solutions to help solve the world’s problems.

The three-month exhibit features a number of hands-on activities to engage people of all ages:

Three-person quiz game that allows you to explore the engineering process while addressing misconceptions about what engineers do

Hands-on challenge in which you cooperate with others to build an arch

Inventors’ Lab station, where users can build a variety of electrical circuits

State-of-the-art, 42-inch interactive touch table with an activity called Game Changers that presents the 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering

Engage with several inspirational videos showing members of Engineers without Borders (EWB) using their skills to profoundly improve the quality of life for communities in Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia

Use a hand-crank generator to produce electrical energy that can be used to power various types of light bulbs and learn which one uses the least energy to operate

With the Solar Power station demonstration, learn the basic functioning of solar energy by experimenting with a light source and a large solar panel

KHCPL Leading the Community in Education

KHCPL’s goal with the exhibit is to lead the community in taking a giant step forward in educating everyone, but especially students, about engineering and STEM. So in addition to the exhibit, there will be a host of programs, starting with a grand opening celebration.

In conjunction with the exhibit and programs, KHCPL plans to host a large number of field trips. Teachers will also find various resources and lesson plans on this website, too.

Discover Tech Partners & Sponsors

Discover Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference, a traveling exhibition for libraries, is part of the STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net) led by the Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning. Exhibit partners include the Lunar and Planetary Institute, the National Girls Collaborative Project, and the American Library Association. Discover Tech is supported through a grant from the National Science Foundation. Locally, Discover Tech is made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Howard County, a donation from the Friends of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library, Delphi Electronics & Safety, and KHCPL.

Discover Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference, a traveling exhibition for libraries, is part of the STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net) led by the Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning. Exhibit partners include the Lunar and Planetary Institute, the National Girls Collaborative Project, and the American Library Association. Discover Tech is supported through a grant from the National Science Foundation. Locally, Discover Tech is made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Howard County, a donation from the Friends of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library, Delphi Electronics & Safety, and KHCPL.